The Fiji Sugar Corporation says they are now implementing two months leave without pay for their 130 staff where possible instead of sending them on leave without pay for four months.
The FSC says it understands that due to the COVID-19 crisis, unemployment rates have increased substantially and any chance of their employees seeking temporary employment elsewhere has diminished remarkably.
CEO, Graham Clark says they are rotating individuals so that instead of four months unpaid leave, the impact is felt only for two months.
He says in a scenario where they have two drivers in a department, each can go on two months unpaid leave instead of one individual going for four months.
Clark adds that as part of the COVID-19 response plan, contracts for works previously outsourced have been cancelled such as grass cutting, mill mud/bagasse transportation as these tasks can be done by employees included in the leave without pay.
He says the crushing season is only six weeks away and they will be needing lorry drivers for cane carting and FSC employees with a valid license can be selected for the role.
Clark says first preference will be given to their permanent employees on leave without pay for work assigned in the crushing period.
The FSC CEO says the COVID-19 Response Plan is designed to be temporary where possible and should things normalise sooner globally, changes will be restored.
However, he says that they have to be mindful that if the COVID-19 crisis isn’t averted with WHO warning to be wary of the 2nd and 3rd wave of COVID-19 and if if the global economic situation doesn’t improve in the four months, then they may be compelled to extend the Response Plan further.
Clarks adds that seven contracts have not been renewed and six employees have officially retired post-COVID-19 Response Plan.
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